Eve of the Launch
by QuixoticQuiddity
Summary: Smashers, veterans and newcomers alike, look forward to the future. (Slight spoilers for some characters)


It is late at night, the clocks set on the Japanese timezone, the stars hanging in the sky as a shining light heralding the future. The Smashers in the castle can't sleep, filled with so much excitement that they threatened to burst. Festivities are being set up and a nice feast is being prepared...

The original 12 Smashers are in the courtyard, setting up fireworks to light up in the sky to cheer on the next tournament.

"Alright-a, Luigi!" Mario called out to his brother, who is currently tripping over a bunch of fireworks. "I'll say when to-a light them, okay?"

"O-okay..." said Luigi, being careful to get up. Unfortunately, he managed to slip on one, but fortunately, Samus catches him before he hits the floor.

"Be careful not to set them off," she said, gently propping him back on the ground. The bounty hunter picks up some of the fireworks - she planned to fire them with her own hand cannon.

"I can't wait to fight those swordsmen again - I refuse to be bested!" shouted Captain Falcon, posing dramatically (imagine a Jojo pose, if you wish).

"Shut up and do your job," said a passing Pikachu, propping fireworks in patterned positions.

"Don't be rude, we're kinda ahead on schedule. I think..." said an accompanying Fox.

Meanwhile, Link and Donkey Kong are regarding the fireworks with confusion. "Do these work like bombs? Bombchus?" said the swordsman, scratching his hair under his cap.

"Maybe like TNT barrel." the ape suggested.

"You're supposed to he pointing it in the air, not the castle." scolded Samus, shaking her head and going to correct it.

"What are you guys thinking? It'd set the castle on fire, and that wouldn't be nice, especially on the first day." said a frowning Jigglypuff. Though, on the inside, she's happy - especially since she was confirmed to come back.

Ness is just as happy, having managed to get in again, running around and eagerly propping fireworks. "Mario, can I help light these?"

"Sure-a thing; oh, can you-a help Luigi, he's-a tripping again..."

"What? I thought Sakurai removed tripping!"

"...it's-a just a Luigi thing."

Away from the others, Kirby and Yoshi are working together, while salivating over the meal being prepared inside. "Can't wait for dinner! Wanna try Villager's fruit salad!" Yoshi said.

"I wanna try Villagers. They look yummy..." Kirby openly thought.

Speaking of Villager...

* * *

The Animal Crossing dorm is split up into two main rooms and two bedrooms, four Villagers sleeping in each Wild World style. The majority of the Villagers are helping with the feast or milling around outside, leaving the red-shirted boy, the face of the gang, and the pink-haired girl.

The boy sits on his bed, a bit nervous. "Are you okay?" the girl asked, concerned.

"I'm just kinda nervous..." the Villager said. He's had a reputation, of course. Being a real scary dude. But he isn't actually scary. He and the other Villagers just pretend to be scary so that they'd be taken more seriously. "I don't think I can pretend anymore. I want to be seen as me, but, um, would they take my cute appearance seriously?"

"Hey, just because we're cutesy doesn't mean we're not serious fighters!" she said enthusiastically, "Kirby and Pikachu and Yoshi are cuties but they can kick major butt!"

That seemed to cheer him up. "Yeah... you're right!"

"If we can't be feared, then we'll give them a reason to!"

"Yeah, we'll become real psychos!"

"I... nah, tone that down."

"You're right, sorry."

* * *

The Wii Fit Trainer's dorm is small, and most of it is dedicated to a training room for the Trainers and for the benefit of others.

Bowser admires himself in a mirror, the female Wii Fit Trainer patting his back as an encouragement; the male one is helping make health food for the feast.

"All that yoga's worked on you! Your back's straightened out and now, you can run instead of, erm, what you used to do." she said.

"Thanks! I can totally wreck those plumbers now!" the Koopa King laughed.

"That's the spirit!" she beams with pride. She can't wait to help get others in shape - even if it means beating the stuffing out of them.

* * *

Mega Man and Pac Man aren't in their dorms; instead, they are hanging out with Sonic. They regarded him as a bit of a mentor, seeing as he's the only veteran third-party.

"...wow, so that's how Snake was like?" the Blue Bomber questioned with wide eyes.

"Yeah, dude was pretty crazy, but we're all crazy around here." Sonic shrugged. "Still, nice guy."

Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to write Pac Man since I haven't watched Ghostly Adventures (and I don't think I want to), so the yellow guy just makes those "waka waka" noises, since I'm a complete tool.

Sonic responds with a thumbs-up. "Right on!"

* * *

Little Mac is wailing on a poor Sandbag in his room - which looked like a normal apartment - delivering punches and blows.

He's fought many in the past. Normal yet strong brawlers. Behemoths like King Hippo. Legends like Mike Tyson. And Glass Joe. Despite his experience, it is mostly made up of ordinary humans. Now, he's up against fighters of a different sort: super humans, non-humans, swords, magic, guns, you name it, all nothing he's really dealt with before.

To the challenge ahead, Little Mac only has three words to say: "Bring it on!"

The Sandbag sheds a tear as Little Mac uppercuts it again, sending it flying out a window.

* * *

Two Pokemon on the roof watch as a Sandbag flies out the window. The dragon is somewhat surprised, but Greninja isn't too shaken.

"This tournament will be interesting," Greninja said, silhouetted against the moon like some shounen ninja nerd.

"It's always interesting here," Charizard admits - the newcomer was technically a veteran. "Just keep your head down and you'll be fine."

"I'm a ninja. I can do that. It's all I'm about."

Charizard rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

* * *

Rosalina is the only one left at the Mario dorm, as Peach sent to help with the feast while Bowser went partying with the villains. She is in her recently constructed bedroom, which resembles her Observatory bedroom; oh, and saying that she's the only one left is a bit of a lie, since she's surrounded by several Luma.

She opens up a storybook. The Queen of the Cosmos wanted to put her children to bed before heading out to join the festivities -they need a nice nap.

"Our story begins a very, very long time ago with a young girl..." she begins.

* * *

"Cheers!"

The Robins and Lucina clank glasses over a table and start drinking, their weapons lying against a wall nearby. A little drink before the main feast and some inevitable brawling wouldn't hurt.

"Let us do our best!" said the female Robin, arm slung over her other self as if he was her sibling. In fact, in my canon, I see the Robins as both canon and twins. Deal with it.

"Yes, I can't wait to show the great Marth what I can do." said Lucina.

"We'll show them all!" The male Robin said enthusiastically.

* * *

Shulk in the meantime is walking through the castle halls, passing by various excited Smashers that cheerfully greeted him. The tech savvy swordsman, being the latest newcomer, did not have a room constructed for him yet - he didn't mind, though.

He feels the unawakened Monado on his back as he surveys the future competition, literally and figuratively. Ordinarily, his blade would only harm Mechon and not the people of Bionis. But these people weren't exactly people of Bionis. Shulk could see the loophole working in his favor in his mind's eye, seeing himself successfully repel an angry Diddy Kong; what the context behind that was, he did not know, but he really is curious as to why a monkey is attacking him. "I'll be ready for you," he said to himself.

* * *

Palutena enters the Kid Icarus dorm; it's a few minutes to midnight, and she wanted to bring a camera with her to savor the launch day moment. However, upon entering, she gasps.

The dorm is severely messed up, furniture torn apart or knocked over, sheets tattered, walls full of claw marks. Across from her is a figure. An angel. An angel that clearly didn't expect to be caught.

"Hey, what the heck, Pi-" said Palutena, more mildly annoyed than anything.

"Shh, shh. Yeah, I know, I wrecked your stuff, but don't to saying my name, it's a spoiler!"

"As if the internet doesn't already know who you are." She scoffs.

* * *

Then, a clock begins to ring out.

The Smashers gather either outside, or at windows, to watch the fireworks display before attending the feast. Palutena decided to save the lecture for later and joined everybody else.

Down on the ground, back in the courtyard, Mario, Luigi, and Ness nod at each other as they start lighting fireworks.

Samus started the display by firing a rocket into the air, which explodes in the air and spreads color in the sky as the fireworks the others lit explode behind it. They work in synchronization, lighting fireworks and firing them to compliment each other's displays. Smashers all over oohed and awed at the glorious display of teamwork. Eventually, some of the other veterans decide to join in and start helping set off fireworks the old fashioned way with matches, adding more light to the dazzling sky.

And then.

A can starts bouncing around the sky, colorful bangs hitting it from out of nowhere.

A bewildered Link looks around for the possible source of it. He sees a figure off in the far end of the courtyard, squinting his eyes. "...is that a duck on a dog?"

Though, the swordsman decided not do anything about it. Nobody else seems to mind, as the can shooting display is at least pretty.

Then, at some point in the lights display, eight flying objects appear, being careful to dodge the fireworks. Then, the figures inside of them throw bombs of some sort out, and they explode in colorful displays. Nobody on the ground didn't seem to recognize them; but since the bombs are helping, they don't care either.

The Smasher light show is glorious.

* * *

Zelda watches the display from a window, marveling the artificial beauty.

"Could you scoot over?" a familiar voice asks.

The princess turns, expecting to see Samus. The woman next to her technically is Samus. But it isn't. It's the veteran-newcomer, Samus' alternate form - Zero Suit Samus. Zelda nods, moving a bit to allow Zero Suit Samus to watch the fireworks.

However, she bump into someone. "Ah, sorry."

"It's okay." Zelda almost stumbles back. The person she spoke to had a gruffer version of her voice. Having snuck in unannounced is her other version - Sheik.

It feels kinda weird to bump into an alternate version of yourself, ya know.

But Zelda shrugs. It's not as if she hasn't seen stranger.

And so, the three women continue to look outside the window, admiring the fireworks together.

* * *

The light show is finished with an exploding missile of a sort.

Everyone who's been through the Classic matches recognizes it. The being that fired it appears in the sky; the flying machines disperse out of respect.

The giant hand, Master Hand, floats high above the castle, knowing full well that all eyes are on him. In a booming voice, he begins: "I'm glad to see you all here today, on a dawn of a new tournament. Now I know that we've lost some fighters - but we've gained many new ones in the process. I hope that you become as accepting of them as your former fellows. Now, I ask of no fights, at least until the sun rises; but let's be real, someone's going to break that rule, but I hope that a majority of you will respect it. For now, let's celebrate! I'm sure that a lot of you are hungry, and you all need energy for the fights that start in the morning. So please, go out and enjoy your feast, and let's have ourselves a great tournament!"

Pointing his index finger in the air, Master Hand fires one last missile, that explodes in one last display of light. Watching Smashers applaud. Others start heading for the feast. Some of them are just going to hang out with each other.

However, in their minds, all of them think of the future that's ahead.

* * *

Author's Note: Happy Japanese Smash release!


End file.
